Lady Canes Track Places Fourth At Division III Championships

After finishing 1-5 in duals meets, and in second-to-last place in League VI this season, no one thought of the Westhampton Beach girls track team as one of the top teams in Division III this season. But after a fourth-place finish at the Division III Championships, held May 20 and 22 at Connetquot High School, the Lady Hurricanes have suddenly solidified themselves as one of the top teams in Suffolk County.

Westhampton Beach scored a total of 58 points and finished ahead of 14 other teams.

“We’re just a couple of girls short of really being a complete team, but the girls who competed last week stepped it up at divisions,” Westhampton Beach head coach John Broich said. “Right now, we’ll reprogram a little bit this week and get ready for the state qualifier.”

Broich said that most, if not all, of the girls who competed at divisionals should be at the state qualifier, which is Friday and Saturday at Port Jefferson High School.

Three Lady Hurricanes took three of the six scoring placements in the 1,500-meter race walk. Annica Penn won with a time of 7:00, Sabrina Mason placed second, in 7:16 and Ellen Griffen placed sixth, in 7:55. The three girls scored a total of 19 points.

Broich said that Penn ran conservatively to make sure she didn’t foul out, as she did this past winter during the indoor track season. Both Penn and Mason finished ahead of the indoor track state champion, Alexa Kluepfel of Elwood/John Glenn.

Lauren Lorefice won the 200-meter dash in 25.88 seconds, and she finished second in the 100-meter dash in 12.6 seconds. She scored a total of 18 points for the Lady Canes.

Kira Kelly won the high jump with a height of 5 feet 1 inch. Steph Vickers placed third in the 800-meter run, in 2:18.68, besting her previous school record of 2:19.6. She also placed sixth in the 1,500-meter race, in 4:54.

The 4×400-meter relay team of Lorefice, Vickers, Nora Murphy and Grace Gilbakian placed fourth, in 4:09. The squad actually finished the semifinal race in 4:07, besting the group’s school record of 4:10 set earlier this season.

The Westhampton Beach boys track team didn’t have the best dual meet season, finishing with a 2-4 record in League VI. But just like the girls, they performed well at the Division III Championships, which were May 21 and 23, at Connetquot High School. The Hurricanes placed eighth out of 18 teams, with 17 points.

Peter-John Ferrebee placed second overall in the outdoor pentathlon, which encompasses the 110-meter high hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put and 1,500-meter race. He scored 2,580 total points, 403 points behind Bayport/Blue Point’s Chris Stelling. Ferrebee won the hurdles (16.19 seconds), placed third in the high jump (5 feet ¼ inch), second in the long jump (17 feet 5¼ inches), third in the shot put (32 feet), and fourth in the 1,500 (5:02.83).

Alex Atwater, Graham Brown, Greg Horbatiuk and James Passarelle made up the 4×800-meter relay team, which placed third, in 8:43.72. Atwater placed fifth in the 800-meter run, in 2:00.73. Horbatiuk placed sixth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, in 10:36.15. Hampton BaysThe Lady Baymen track team tied for ninth place with Amityville out of 18 teams at the Division III Championships. Both teams scored 22 points.

Shanna Heaney placed second in the 800-meter race, in 2:14.69, besting her previous school record of 2:16. Sarah Hardie of Elwood/John Glenn won in 2:13.32. She placed fourth in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles, in 66.47 seconds, and placed seventh in the 1,500-meter race, in 2:54.24.

Victoria Moynihan placed second in the discus with a throw of 99 feet 8 inches. Meghan Serdock of Shoreham/Wading River won with a throw of 100 feet 11 inches. The 4×800-meter relay team of Shanna and Cameron Heaney, Hannah Reed and Samantha Thompson placed fifth with a season’s-best time of 10:26.9.

Hampton Bays head coach Dave Oakley said all of the girls, along with Layla Deluca (high jump), plan to be at the state qualifier this weekend.

The Hampton Bays boys track team placed 11th out of 18 teams, tallying 10.33 points, at the Division III Championships. Brian Intermaggio tied for fourth place in the high jump with a jump of 5 feet 8 inches. Darrell Galicia placed fifth in the shot put with a throw of 42 feet 5 inches. The 4×100-meter relay team of Jamie Rincon, James Deery, Rob Lovett and Johan Tran placed fourth, in 45.04 seconds. Christian and Nick Berglin made up the 4×800-meter relay team, along with Tyler Reimer and Angel Bamberger. They placed fifth, in 9:15.86. ESMThe Eastport South Manor boys track team placed eighth out of 17 Division II teams at the Division II Championships at Connetquot High School on May 21 and 23.

Tom Meehan won the 1,600-meter race, in 4:27.38, and he placed second in the 800-meter run, in 1:56.25. Dave Laguerra placed third in the long jump with a leap of 21 feet. Luke Lafferty placed sixth with a leap of 20 feet 8 inches.

The 4×100-meter relay team just missed placing, finishing seventh with a time of 46.3 seconds. Jaggar Chaisty, Sean Clark, Tom Buckley and Quade Goldenberg made up the team.

The ESM girls track team placed 17th out of 18 teams, with seven points, at the Division II Championships on May 20 and 22 at Connetquot High School.

Alex DeCicco placed fourth in the 800-meter run, in 2:22.76. Taylor McClay placed fifth in the 1,500-meter race, in 4:54.40. DeCicco just missed placing by finishing seventh, in 4:57.79.

Marissa Mazzoni placed sixth in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles, in 69.99 seconds. Ashley Schafer ran to a personal-best finish in the 2,000-meter steeplechase, in 7:59.66.